Should suicide pills be available to everyone?

[LikelyToBreak]

mediumaevum wrote in part:

Whilst I am afraid of death, I am even more afraid of life.

Okay, I don't have a quick answer for alleviating fear.  Wish I did, I could use one.  My somewhat short answer.  Quit watching the News.  Most of it doesn't directly affect you anyway, and that which does is probably over stated as to its' importance.  People are assholes, so don't worry about what they think of you.  Single people wish they were married, married people wish they were single, so not having your "soul-mate" at your side is no big deal.  

Sometimes when you think the worse thing that can happen does, it turns out to not be nearly as bad as you thought it would be.  Like last night, I had a black widow drop down on my neck.  Once she realized I was an animal, she went back up her web and hid in the vent she came out of.  I thought it would be terrible if a black widow dropped down on me from that damn vent, then it happened.  And besides creeping me out, no harm was really done.  Lost a job, then I got one paying 3.75 more an hour, with more overtime.  Enjoyed it more too.  Had a fiancee dump me once, then met someone prettier, nicer, and didn't have the baggage of a brat.  Anyway, things might not be as bad as you think they are.

Do find someone to talk to, even if it is just someone as stupid as me on the other side of a hotline.   You got nothing to lose in making the call before doing something which you can't take back.  Even if I can't explain how to get rid or your fears, some other knucklehead just might.  Give them and yourself the chance.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

1. Require every person to go through a mental evaluation before getting the suicide pill; terminally ill people can skip this part.
2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.
3. If they plan on having a funeral require them to have someway to pay for it rather than forcing that cost on the already grieving family. If the pill is made right then organ donation may be an acceptable way to pay. Assets are another way to pay. Otherwise they have to get the family's written permission to defer the cost of a funeral to the family.

Only way I could support this idea.

[Plu]

2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.

Contender for "worst job in the world".  :-s

Whilst I am afraid of death, I am even more afraid of life.

What is it about life that scares you so?

[SilentFutility]

Yes, but a suicide pill is a reasonably guaranteed lethal dosage of something in a single pill that could be powdered and has at least a chance of going undetected.

I'd hope that if suicide pills were to become legal they'd have to be (by law) so bitter that no one would take one by mistake.  And that they'd have some unique chemical tracer, so a postmortem exam (the coroner) would have no trouble detecting that the person died by suicide pill.

All valid controls, I was more talking about selling them in supermarkets ie. having them freely available like someone suggested.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.

Contender for "worst job in the world".  :-s

Well if you wanna provide people with death pills there might be a few downsides.

[Tabula Rasa]

If people want one they should be allowed to have one.

Most people wont want one.

That cannot be known until everyone has access to one. You'd be surprised what an otherwise stable and rational human will do with a suicide pill actually in hand.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

If people want one they should be allowed to have one.

Most people wont want one.

That cannot be known until everyone has access to one. You'd be surprised what an otherwise stable and rational human will do with a suicide pill actually in hand.

I'm guessing he/she would not take it unless terminally ill. If he/she took it while healthy I wouldn't consider him/her stable or reasonable.

[Eric1958]

Two things I'd like to bring up.

One, there are several billion people on this planet of ours and if several million of us check out early, it's not going to have much effect on the species. Yes, it brings pain on our loved ones, but we will all die at some point.

Two, as an atheist part of my belief is that there is nothing inherently sacred about life. I grow tired of hearing so many people talk about life as though it was the greatest thing ever and surely we all really want to keep it as long as possible and if we don't it must be because we are "sick" and need fixing.

[Aletheia]

1. Require every person to go through a mental evaluation before getting the suicide pill; terminally ill people can skip this part.
2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.
3. If they plan on having a funeral require them to have someway to pay for it rather than forcing that cost on the already grieving family. If the pill is made right then organ donation may be an acceptable way to pay. Assets are another way to pay. Otherwise they have to get the family's written permission to defer the cost of a funeral to the family.

Only way I could support this idea.

Pretty much narrows down the main reasons why most of us cares if a stranger offs themselves - remove the chance they could murder with this tool and settling the financial burden of losing that person.

Not to sound callous, but most of us probably couldn't care less if Joe Blow committed suicide over in Michigan. We certainly don't cry much when we read it in the news. For instance, three weeks ago a man jumped out in front of a moving car in front of the place where I work. There wasn't a moment of silence for the guy - no heartrending notice of his absence from this world. Rather, people were puzzled as to why, but mainly they were curious on who was going to take up the tab. Who fixes the car? Who cleans up the wreck? Who pays for his funeral?

Legalizing suicide is not a problem so long all the loose ends are tied up, figuratively speaking. Having large numbers of people readily kill themselves and then leave a financial vacuum for others is probably the main reason countries do not support the notion. There isn't much profit in someone taking their own life.

Suicide insurance would probably be the main way in which to go (to cover the costs), since suicide isn't normally planned well in advance. Very rarely would anyone save up for it. Usually it's impulsive or to escape from some emotional/financial burden. Once again, I do not see where a profit could be made here.

Yes, a person should have the right to end their life - I mean, it is their life. However, leaving others to foot the bill isn't exactly good for the economy. Make suicide profitable or at least have a benign effect on others financially, then you'll have a legalized version of suicide.

[Johan]

1. Require every person to go through a mental evaluation before getting the suicide pill; terminally ill people can skip this part.
2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.
3. If they plan on having a funeral require them to have someway to pay for it rather than forcing that cost on the already grieving family. If the pill is made right then organ donation may be an acceptable way to pay. Assets are another way to pay. Otherwise they have to get the family's written permission to defer the cost of a funeral to the family.

Only way I could support this idea.

I concur. The only change I would make is to expand #3 beyond funeral costs. It should be required that arrangements be made to settle any and all debts.

It is my opinion, that suicide pills should be available in supermarkets, or at least in drugstores, without need for prescription.

They already are available in supermarkets and drugstores without the need for a prescription. Readily available in fact. But they aren't labelled as suicide pills. Anyone who wants to off themselves bad enough can do a little research and figure out what to take to get the job done.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

1. Require every person to go through a mental evaluation before getting the suicide pill; terminally ill people can skip this part.
2. Require the person to be observed taking it so they don't just murder someone.
3. If they plan on having a funeral require them to have someway to pay for it rather than forcing that cost on the already grieving family. If the pill is made right then organ donation may be an acceptable way to pay. Assets are another way to pay. Otherwise they have to get the family's written permission to defer the cost of a funeral to the family.

Only way I could support this idea.

I concur. The only change I would make is to expand #3 beyond funeral costs. It should be required that arrangements be made to settle any and all debts.

Yeah, that would be a good consideration as well. I don't think an inability to pay debts or funerals should be a reason to deny the pill automatically, mind you, but financial obligations should factor heavily into the overall decision on whether or not to give someone such a pill. We don't wanna let someone just kill themselves because they have no way to pay debts, rather we should refer them to charities or government services that would be able to help them. If they wanna off themselves after their financial issues are taken care of then so be it, give them the pill.

Pretty much narrows down the main reasons why most of us cares if a stranger offs themselves - remove the chance they could murder with this tool and settling the financial burden of losing that person.

Not to sound callous, but most of us probably couldn't care less if Joe Blow committed suicide over in Michigan. We certainly don't cry much when we read it in the news. For instance, three weeks ago a man jumped out in front of a moving car in front of the place where I work. There wasn't a moment of silence for the guy - no heartrending notice of his absence from this world. Rather, people were puzzled as to why, but mainly they were curious on who was going to take up the tab. Who fixes the car? Who cleans up the wreck? Who pays for his funeral?

Legalizing suicide is not a problem so long all the loose ends are tied up, figuratively speaking. Having large numbers of people readily kill themselves and then leave a financial vacuum for others is probably the main reason countries do not support the notion. There isn't much profit in someone taking their own life.

Suicide insurance would probably be the main way in which to go (to cover the costs), since suicide isn't normally planned well in advance. Very rarely would anyone save up for it. Usually it's impulsive or to escape from some emotional/financial burden. Once again, I do not see where a profit could be made here.

Yes, a person should have the right to end their life - I mean, it is their life. However, leaving others to foot the bill isn't exactly good for the economy. Make suicide profitable or at least have a benign effect on others financially, then you'll have a legalized version of suicide.

Yeah. Not to sound cold or callous, but I can't bring myself to care if John Doe decides to kill himself. I've had people close to me kill themselves, and I've felt that pain, but I always understood it as their decision. The only real thing I've ever wanted for any of the people I've known who have killed themselves is mental help, and if that failed I would've wanted them to receive some sort of way to die painlessly and with dignity. I've always been a supporter of the right to die; it's a highly personal decision. While every effort should be made to relieve whatever makes the person want to die, I don't think we should force anyone to live.

[Youssuf Ramadan]

As soon as I need help to feed myself long term, wipe my own ass, or I start to lose my sanity I want out.  I don't know about suicide pills, but from recent events in my 'hood, it looks like a dodgy boiler could do the trick quickly and painlessly....  :-k

[SilentFutility]

As soon as I need help to feed myself long term, wipe my own ass, or I start to lose my sanity I want out.  I don't know about suicide pills, but from recent events in my 'hood, it looks like a dodgy boiler could do the trick quickly and painlessly....  :-k

That's the thing though, in the UK you don't legally have that option, and if someone helps you or even helps you to travel to a country where you do have that option for that purpose they risk prosecution.

In most countries getting to the stage where assisted suicide is even a legal option regardless of method would be very controversial, let alone prescription suicide pills available at pharmacies or GPs.

[Youssuf Ramadan]

As soon as I need help to feed myself long term, wipe my own ass, or I start to lose my sanity I want out.  I don't know about suicide pills, but from recent events in my 'hood, it looks like a dodgy boiler could do the trick quickly and painlessly....  :-k

That's the thing though, in the UK you don't legally have that option, and if someone helps you or even helps you to travel to a country where you do have that option for that purpose they risk prosecution.

In most countries getting to the stage where assisted suicide is even a legal option regardless of method would be very controversial, let alone prescription suicide pills available at pharmacies or GPs.

Yes indeed.

Maybe I should invade a country with oil that is coveted by the US.  I'd be guaranteed a quick death then.   :-D

[SilentFutility]

As soon as I need help to feed myself long term, wipe my own ass, or I start to lose my sanity I want out.  I don't know about suicide pills, but from recent events in my 'hood, it looks like a dodgy boiler could do the trick quickly and painlessly....  :-k

That's the thing though, in the UK you don't legally have that option, and if someone helps you or even helps you to travel to a country where you do have that option for that purpose they risk prosecution.

In most countries getting to the stage where assisted suicide is even a legal option regardless of method would be very controversial, let alone prescription suicide pills available at pharmacies or GPs.

Yes indeed.

Maybe I should invade a country with oil that is coveted by the US.  I'd be guaranteed a quick death then.   :-D

Good luck doing that when you're incapable of wiping your own arse man!